RT Journal Article
T1 Numerical validation of simple non-stationary models for self-propelled pitching foils
A1 Fernández-Feria, Ramón
A1 Sanmiguel-Rojas, Enrique
A1 Esteban López-Tello, Pablo
AB High-resolution numerical simulations of the self propelled locomotion of two-dimensional pitching foils areused to assess simplified models based on linear potential theory for the fluid-foil interaction. These modelsare very useful because they provide simple analytical estimations of the swimming velocity, among otherrelevant features of the aquatic locomotion of fishes and underwater robotic devices propelled by flappingfoils. In particular, we consider a pitching foil self-propelled from two different models of the unsteady thrustforce based on linear potential theory, both complemented with a new simple model for the unsteady viscousfriction obtained from the present full-numerical simulations, valid in a wide range of Reynolds numbers(103 ≲ 𝑅𝑒 ≲ 104) of interest for many natural and robotic swimmers. The resulting ordinary differential equationfor the swimming velocity is easily integrated numerically, comparing favorably with the full-numericalsimulations for small pitch amplitudes (Strouhal numbers 𝑆𝑡 ≲ 0.25) and the above range of Reynolds numbers.Further, when the swimming velocity is small, simple approximate solutions of the dynamic model equationare obtained, whose pitch amplitude validity range is more limited than the numerical solution of the modelas the Reynolds number and the foil mass ratio increase, becoming negligibly small when the frequency-basedReynolds number is well over 104. Although both thrust models yield similar quantitative results, they predictqualitatively different dependencies of the swimming velocity on the different non-dimensional parameters
PB Elsevier
YR 2022
FD 2022-09-15
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/24888
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/24888
LA eng
NO R. Fernandez-Feria, E. Sanmiguel-Rojas, P.E. Lopez-Tello, Numerical validation of simple non-stationary models for self-propelled pitching foils, Ocean Engineering, Volume 260, 2022, 111973, ISSN 0029-8018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2022.111973
NO This research has been supported by the Junta de Andalucía, Spain (UMA18-FEDER-JA-047 and P18-FR-1532). The computations were performed in the Picasso Supercomputer at the University of Málaga, a node of the Spanish Supercomputing Network. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 21 ene 2026